Sep 3, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist At a time when access to nutritious food is more critical than ever, independent grocers play a pivotal role in serving diverse communities and promoting healthy eating habits. The National Grocers Association Foundation Technical Assistance Center hosted a recent webinar that delved into innovative strategies…
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Aug 20, 2024
By Kunal Dawar It’s a great thing when you can help people understand a little more about what we do. That’s the idea behind the congressional store tours that NGA helps set up for independent grocers. At Walt Churchill’s Market, we invited U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9) to visit one of our stores, to show…
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Aug 19, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist NGA’s slogan is “At the heart of the community,” reflecting the important position that independent grocery stores have in so many communities around the country. I’d go out on a limb and suggest a secondary tagline, “Always looking forward,” because a significant part of NGA’s…
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Aug 15, 2024
By Mike Beal Balls Food Stores had the privilege of hosting our hometown member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, for a visit to our Price Chopper store in Leavenworth, Kan. It was a worthwhile experience, because there’s really no better way to help lawmakers understand what it means to be an independent community grocer…
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Aug 9, 2024
Last month, we had the privilege of hosting an important webinar with NGA Member TimeForge that delivered actionable strategies for managing grocery labor. As labor challenges continue to be a significant concern for retailers, this session provided essential insights to help grocers improve retention and reduce labor costs. Here are some of the key takeaways: Invest…
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Aug 1, 2024
By Clint and Jenny Osner Being a member of NGA helps give independent grocers a voice in discussions about national policy. That’s a big help for stores like ours, in rural Kansas, where folks sometimes feel their voices aren’t being heard on issues important to them, like small Main Street businesses getting a fair shake…
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Aug 1, 2024
By Wettlin Treppendahl It’s one thing to tell someone something – it’s another thing to show them. I can go to Washington when NGA has its meetings on Capitol Hill to explain to lawmakers how what they’re doing affects small, independent grocery operators. It really is a great opportunity to put a face on the…
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Jul 18, 2024
By Caitlin Orosz / Director of Marketing, Bungee Tech In today’s grocery market, every penny counts, especially when you’re operating with a lean team. Even if you have fewer stores or fewer SKUs than some competitors, it’s a struggle to relabel shelves with pricing updates. You can maintain a competitive edge and sell more units.…
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Jul 12, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Because meat consumers can essentially shop anywhere and everywhere on their purchase journey, an effective omnichannel strategy is one of the most critical elements in a retailer’s marketing tool kit. NGA hosted a recent webinar that explored key insights from Midan Marketing’s Meat Consumer Segmentation…
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Jul 12, 2024
The FMS Compensation and Benefits Study, a comprehensive analysis tailored specifically for the independent grocery sector, offers an in-depth look into current compensation trends and benefits packages across the industry, providing crucial insights for grocery store owners and managers. FMS’ study examines wages—including hourly pay, salaries and bonuses where applicable—for 30 roles ranging from store…
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Jul 1, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Dairy is a destination for daily staples on most shopping trips. But, how are evolving demographics, changing nutritional requirements and the rise of alternative products influencing what winds up in consumers’ baskets? A recent webinar hosted by NGA explored consumption trends for dairy products as…
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Jun 27, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Grocery has one of the highest employee turnover rates of any U.S. industry. A recent study commissioned by the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council examined the lingering impact of the pandemic and other issues around hiring and retention. In a recent webinar hosted by the National…
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Jun 20, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Nutrition is a space that grocers can own, by knowing how to guide consumers toward food solutions for any health need. A recent webinar hosted by the National Grocers Association and the NGA Foundation explained what “food as medicine” means and explored what grocery retailers…
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Jun 6, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist The first quarter of 2024 marked a significant turning point for grocery sales, with the first year-over-year unit increase since the second quarter of 2021. The first quarter underscored a resilient grocery sector adapting to economic pressures and changing consumer habits, with deli-prepared foods emerging…
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Jun 5, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Operational shrink may amount to $210,000 per store per year. The good news is that more than 50% of that is controllable. In a recent webinar hosted by NGA, Nick Lenzi, SVP of marketing at Lipari Foods, shared 20 “nickels” – costs savings throughout a…
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Jun 4, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Things are heating up on Capitol Hill, as a divided Congress works toward a new Farm Bill and reshapes policy amid a hotly contested election year. Things were particularly hot – and sweaty – toward the end of May, when independent grocers converged on the…
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May 9, 2024
By Lorraine Dufour for The Farmers’ Truck As an independent grocer, your community ties extend far beyond the walls of your store. So why should your goods be confined to those walls? This is where a mobile market truck comes in. Increasing access to healthy food by bringing it directly to those who need it…
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Apr 30, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist The post-pandemic period is offering independent grocers challenges that operationally may pale in comparison to those of the COVID era but are adding pressure to the bottom line and the way supermarket operators are perceived by consumers. Inflation has driven up the cost of most…
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Apr 29, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Becoming a member of the National Grocers Association makes you a part of a community based on relationships. NGA is a collaborative network built on trust, with each member helping to make each other, and the collective, stronger as one. The association helps to amplify…
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Apr 24, 2024
By Julia Landcastle / NGA Coordinator, Political and Government Relations On April 9, 2024, the USDA released the final WIC food package for the first time in over a decade. Changes in the food package aim to provide participants with more choices and flexibility as they shop to meet their needs. Now, states will have…
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